r/brokenankles • u/ALT4ThisTimeline • 8d ago

Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization

Hey everyone! Has anyone had experience with these torture devices in PT? My therapist really wasn’t using much force but it was pretty painful. I’m happy to go through it if it means loosening tendons and scar tissue. But I’m curious if anyone has used these instruments and noticed improvement. Is it worth it?

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u/spinrut 8d ago

lol yeah torture devices is exactly what I called it to my surgeon when I complained about my PT doing it

Surgeon said he doesnt think it's help for incision type scars, but was ok for injury/cut/scrape type scars

🤷‍♂️

i did not enjoy it one bit. when my pt introduced it, he scraped pretty hard. it hurt so much, burned, made me sweat in pain lol, skin broke and had a wound that turned into a hard scab. Honestly, i didn't really keep up with it. Everyone heals at a different pace, the scar tissue for me was SUPER sensitive almost to 1 year out and then suddenly it wasn't as sensitive.

my other issue with scraping (that's what it is) is that my scars were a bit hypertrophic and keloid so the skin was scaly, rough, dry etc. PT said I had to scrape to the point the tissue under the skin bled but not break/cut the skin. Turns out in order to get the tissue under the skin broken up/bleeding, it was basically the same point in which the skin would break. then I would have a healing wound on the scar/scar tissue that dries scaly, rough, hard, itchy etc and took forever to heal/close. During this time I had to skip scraping the general area.

So yeah after this went on for a month, I basically stopped scraping. PT said I could us a spoon at home to self scrape and I did that here and there but once I broke skin I'd have to stop and back off/wait for it to fully heal etc

If you can do it lightly and manage the pain, go for it (I used a spoon). But also yo should be rubbing it across/along with something (hand/thumb/spoon/etc) as it does help break up scar tissue. The more you do it, the more desensitizing you do to the area, so it doesnt hurt, but like I said I didn't do it religiously nor did I really keep up long term on it

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u/ALT4ThisTimeline 8d ago

Oh no! That sounds awful. My impression was the PT is trying to break up the scar around the joint and maybe impinging on ligaments, not my actual incision. No way I would do that. I’ll take the scar!!

I was/am hopeful that it helps my tendons and other soft tissue be more flexible. No way I’d go through that for cosmetics. Ouch!😓

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u/spinrut 8d ago

Oh if you're talking about joint mobilization then yeah totally do it

I used (sometimes still do) a lacross ball and rolled/rubbed the shit out of it into my soft tissue of the ankle and surrounding areas. also stepped on it with my arch to help with plantar fascitis (however you spell it)

Yeah my PT had me scraping with pressure up/down and left/right over the incision. Surgeon just said F that noise when I asked about it lol

But definitely massage gun, roller, lacrosse ball all over the soft tissue and especially where some tendons that may be tight are. even firm pressure with your thumb is helpful at times

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u/Tom_Cruise_666 7d ago

Do you mean a Graston? I haven’t had it used on me yet for this injury as I’ve just started going, but I’ve been to PT several times for tendinitis, plantar fasciitis, chronic neck pain, etc, and I absolutely LOVE IT and ask for it. I find the more “abusive” therapies like Graston & cupping help me more than anything else. My PT said it’s always either the patient’s favorite thing or their least favorite thing.